"The University of Kentucky facilitates learning, informed by scholarship and research, expands knowledge through research, scholarship and creative activity, and serves a global community by disseminating, sharing and applying knowledge." University of Kentucky Mission Statement
From Kindergarten through High School and into college, we are told to follow our dreams, we are encouraged to be creative, to make something that we are proud of, and to push boundaries. Of course, from third grade on, we are also subjected to Standardized Testing. We are placed in nice, clean boxes- English, Science, Math, History. We aren't allowed out of the box. As we move up in the world, into college and beyond, those boxes become more restrictive, continuing to cut off our freedom and creativity. It has been made increasingly clear that pushing the boundaries is frowned upon and the "adultier" adults have the power to shut us down whenever they please.
The University of Kentucky has made national news recently for doing exactly that. The Administration looked at a group of student journalists, trying to do their jobs and denied them access. The University of Kentucky Administration decided that it was in their best interest to not only deny these students access to the information they requested, but also to bring up a lawsuit against them. What began as a simple request for records has turned into a very interesting case for First Amendment Rights.
As an officer of an independent student organization, UKShakes, I have found that it is not just the University administration, but department chairs and even some faculty. We are an organization that is artistic and performative in nature, we are completely self-sufficient, save for performance space. It was made abundantly clear to us last yeat that we would not be allowed to use Theatre spaces (which can, in theory, be reserved by any student organization.) I have recently been told that I am not allowed to reserve classroom space, or use department "space and personnel (i.e., students and/or faculty). " Yes, a professor just informed me that students in the department were not allowed to work with my organization. Theatre students aren't allowed to work with outside theatre companies.
We took a note from the Kernel and started a Go Fund Me, and within a couple of hours, we were well on our way to being able to rent a space in Downtown Lexington. As it turns out, like with the Kernel, we are surrounding by an overwhelmingly supportive community, despite our University leaders. As it turns out, people don't like hearing about things like this. Our community has been very vocal about educational authority figures blocking student's academic and creative endeavours.
It is unfortunate that departmental and university guidelines restrict independent student organizations to the point that they cannot flourish, fulfill their goals, or "expand knowledge through research, scholarship, and creative activity." It seems that our "superiors" would prefer to admonish us being lazy, belligerent, impatient, and narcissistic, rather than admitting that they refuse to let us surpass them. How is it that we as students are encouraged to create and instigate social change when we aren't allowed the artistic, intellectual, and creative freedom to explore these opportunities?
